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Howls of Carnage
Territories With the recent events brought along by the Super Rookies and the clash of the Yonkos, many islands found themselves shaking. Even when they weren't at the center of these clashes. Pinehurst was just one amongst these same islands. Not too tropical, it was a simple Summer Island with many rock formations scattered across its landscape, not too large, but not too small. Territory to the Titan Pirates, the crew of one of the Yonko Raptor D. Baron, it prided itself on being one of the least shook. After all, it was protected by one of the mightiest pirates, what was it that it would fear? Pinehurst was one of the Titan's farthest territories. A man was sent flying into a rocky structure, leaving a blue trail behind. "GAH, I AM YELLING IN PAIN!!" He screamed, body etched into the rock, blood came out of his mouth, tainting his long frame. Embed into his bare chest was the very symbol of the Titans, his long limbs moved to push him out of the rock. This man was Thin Anyg, a pirate harboring a bounty of 201,000,000 and one of the last defenders of Pinehurst, serving as a member of the Seventh Division. As a member of the Longlimbs, both his legs and arms were exceptionally long. "B-Baron won't let this slide... like, our captain is not going to allow this to pass," Anyg gasped, eyeing another pirate that walked towards him, walked quietly. Clothed in a mix of white and blue, a pirate worth more than 450,000,000 had made short work of Anyg under a few minutes. "DAMN YOU, MONK PIRATES!" Anyg spit saliva towards the Pirate. "CURSE YOU, DAMN YOU-- PAYBACK!!!" Parker's frame flowed with azure energy, such that the spit didn't even manage to reach his true body. Before it could fully touch his skin, Parker flicked his index finger against his thumb, the spit rocketed backwards and pierced through Anyg's stomach. "GOHAH!" Anyg's cheeks inflated and his eyes widened, blood spilling out of the wound and out of his mouth. The spit made its way to the ground as well, causing a crater to boom below him, dust flew off. "O-Only because- We- We managed to ward off the Maneater's forces- We drove off the Black Widow Pirates!" Though many words were directed at him, Parker spoke not, arms resting by the side of his body. His eyes glanced at Anyg through their glasses, focusing at no particular part of his body, not even the wound he caused. Should he even respond anything? What was it that he could change by speaking to this Titan? All of Parker's yells, they were treated like covers, like layers. Still, what a sad sight stood before him, for Baron's forces to be reduced to this, even in such a secluded island. Parker opened his mouth for a second, ready to criticize this man in behalf of Baron. Yet, an extremely large aura entered the field of his Haki and he narrowed his eyes. ---- Meanwhile, off the coast Izanagi's Ship was practically a floating fortified fortress, formed of the most durable materials known to man and armed with hundreds of cannons blessed by the Spider Empress herself to exceptional accuracy and firepower. Its scope was thrice that of even the sturdiest marine warship and like most of the main ships, it had been further fortified with layers of seastone to endure the rigours of the open sea. Wolfgang's own cabin most resembled the luxurious suite of a king, it consisted of three floors with a variety of necessities for the conqueror, such as a private swimming pool, an armoury tailored to be able to adequately contain the Ulfgarn without accidentally sinking the entire ship under its incalculable weight. And last but not least a massive bedroom that doubled as Wolfgang's own personal brothel and harem, a place that was at present occupied by around two dozen marine prisoners at the behest of the Spider Empress. Captured because Legs had requested more children loyal to her cause, to be taken from their mothers and raised in seclusion to be loyal to her and her alone, the Wolves of War had all received a few such officers to amuse them, but Wolfgang had been given the lion's share not necessarily only because of his enormous carnal appetite but also because as a Mink of enormous power his offspring would be particularly useful to her plans. But at present, his current conquest was a grizzled war veteran and a Marine Commodore; a large and built man who undoubtedly had never considered that he might ever find himself in such a situation. Judging by his constant pleading and screams, he did not enjoy the experience. When at last it was over, the man lied trembling in his own vomit on the ground as Wolfgang pulled up his trousers and made to leave the room. "Y-you monster! There is no layer of hell fit to give you the eternal punishment you deserve!" He was in tears at the brutal way his first mate had been murdered, debased in a manner such as him and then torn limb from limb at the Maneaters hands and finally consumed piece by piece while he bled to death on the floor. The memory would surely haunt him to his dying days. Wolfgang paused briefly in the door to reply: "I should hope not, I am Wolfgang after all." ---- Once he'd left his private chambers his advisors were gathered outside to inform him that they had arrived in Pinehurst; their next target. Wolfgang grinned in anticipation as he recognized the presence of William Parker already on the island, it seemed as though he might get to enjoy himself after all. Much like the behemoth outside the island, as mentioned before, Parker noticed the presence of none other than Izanagi of the Black Widow Pirates. Not even a man, but a beast with a bounty that surpassed the 400,000,000 mark, someone so crazy that he engaged in conflicts against several of the New World's monsters, others of his own. "It seems this will be a dispute," Parker sighed, coud he not just get off without any other fight? Maybe the universe sought to make even more miseries out of his life, had he not punished and been punished enough by that point? "I will spare you for now, Titan." Parker told Anyg, not glancing at him. The latter was already seemingly gone, though Parker could easily track him, he preferred to set his full attention upon Wolfgang. Could he do this...? Could he still be his usual imposing self and talk back to a monster like that? Even if he was self-conscious of his own condition, it seemed that Parker made not much effort in regards to rising his spirits. Amplifying his voice with a simple cough, he spoke out at Wolfgang, eyes sharp, mouth wide, body firm, "MANEATER! THIS LAND IS TO BE THE TERRITORY OF THE MONK PIRATES!" The island reverbered under such sound, animals scurrying away, trees budging. At first, there came no reply, and silence pervaded the land for several moments as it almost seemed as though the Wolves of War had acquiesced to Parker’s request: although that seemed far too reasonable for a crew whose leader was Wolfgang. It was then it happened, the earth would rumble and groan underneath the Monk Commander’s feet, trembling due to some distant threat. Whatever it was, nature knew, for scores of birds soon blocked out the sunlight, casting a dark shadow upon the land as they fled from the scene of what would undoubtedly be a grand conflict. Partially obscured by the sudden pall of darkness was a lone figure brandishing a massive spear whose footsteps caused the land to groan and the earth to crack apart, fragments of loose debris floating in midair under some strange influence and an overwhelming presence hang in the air, a feeling of raw unadulterated blood-lust so intense and so thick that it almost seemed to possess physical form, coiling and writhing like a living thing. With each step he took waves of black ichor seemed to trail across the land, rippling like black sand as a herd of spooked animals suddenly rushed out of the nearby woodland, terrified beyond reason, their pupils wide with the most primal of all emotions. Soon the Maneater stood a mere few yards from his opponent to be, his muscular form relaxed and the Ulfgarn firm in grip, when he spoke it was with surprising gravity as his eyes locked with those of Parker. “Come to stand in the way of your Conqueror, have you? So be it, your life is forfeit.” Upon the last syllable the cloying presence that accompanied Izanagi would grow to become almost unbearable, as waves of purplish-black danced luridly across the countryside to herald what was to come, some might say that Haki was a reflection of your soul and indeed your very humanity and if such was a thing it would surely offer a glance at just how vile the Beast of Zou was at heart. Then the shadows seemed to plummet into utter darkness, as all sight was momentarily lost, drowned out by an overwhelming blackness that tore free of Wolfgang’s soul and spread across the land like a plague rampant. It brought with it despair irreconcilable, unnameable dread and a killing intent so all-consuming that it might elicit constant hallucinations of his own gruesome demise from Parker, should his willpower falter for even a split second. Yes, in the wake of the wave the lush fields might momentarily seem stained with blood and gore, effigies of Wolfgang’s past victims momentarily lingering as reflections of his past actions. Behind Parker the animals that had tried to flee were lying in heaps, having collapsed mid-sprint: Wolfgang’s release of Haki had killed them instantaneously through shock... Parker glanced upon Wolfgang's figure, the height difference between them not too evident if not for Wolfgang's position, his expression remained a blank one, though his lips were curved down. Before any response was given, what washed over Parker had not been simply a wave of pressure, of darkness, but the immense magnitude of willpower exherted from Wolfgang, the determination to conquer and stand tall above the opposition. Maybe even the desire to conquer oneself. While his hair and clothes waved violently backwards, pushed by such aura, Parker crossed his arms and stood there, even when the ground cracked under him and everything else bowed down to Wolfgang's presence. It was as if the tsunami of pressure met quite a tall island in the middle of its course, for it couldn't fully engulf it. Regardless of the firmness in which he held himself with, Parker felt a particular sensation that coursed through his flesh, through his bone, and through his very soul, however, such sensations seemed substantially different from those of a dominated person. For but a brief second, the image of a bald warrior presented itself before his very eyes, aura leaking from it in the same manner. And even then, there Parker stood, taking its toll in with all his focus and responding determination. Though Parker was in the state he was, to let his person falter during a fight or enemy counter would be amongst the biggest of disgraces to the Monk Pirates. If he was in a sour mood or not, it mattered not when it came to putting the affairs of the Monks over the table. Though he was no King, no Conqueror, he wasn't to be conquered either. Rather, much like the monster before him, Parker has had direct encounters with the Yonko before, albeit the results always came to be the same. Inside all of the black and voidness created by Wolfgang's presence, a tinge of blue flared from Parker, small much like a candle, but bright like sunlight. Parker beat both his feet together firmly, without even preparing a proper motion for it, akin to how a soldier set themselves stagnant, however, all that bloomed forth from such an action was anything but stagnant. Amplified through the energy of his Dogi Dogi no Mi, the meeting of the feet seemed to require less effort than normal and resulted in an all-direction ripple that swiftly travelled over all that stood on its path. Not just its imagery, but the scenario as a whole bent on itself, trees shattered in half and littered the area with wooden shards, while their lower halves met the ground, dust and rubble of pure rock followed suit, rumbling overtook any other sound present over the island. Everything was to be swept away in the wake of such a push, large clouds surged in the distance, far-away structures threatening to crumble. Wolfgang’s free hand moved in a blur as he with the slightest step had closed the remainder of the distance; his claws shimmering with tendrils of purplish electricity, Electro intermingled with his Haki to produce something surpassing both in isolation. Yes, the Beast of Zou’s Haki still burned unwavering like a black sun, bathing all around him in constant recurrent waves of misery, fear and abject terror. It was in that moment that Parker unleashed a massive shock wave, one that shook parts of the very island and threatened to reduce any civilizations present to rumble for its raw force along, and due to his charge Wolfgang found himself facing it directly but rather than brace himself he simply went on without relenting to the immense pressure for even a fraction of a second, almost as though anchored to the ground. While it had struck him with force sufficient to level a massive structure, it simply could not move him and so the Maneater reached his target unimpeded and he chose that specific moment, that lapse between thought and action to act. Motes of black light were the only warning given before several dozen bolts of dimly-colored lightning manifested in crisscrossing patterns around William Parker coalescing upon him in a flurry of electricity that tore long crevasses into the ground and caused currents of enormous voltage to spread across the immediate area, setting the land ablaze with purple flames, embers ignited through friction and imbued with Wolfgang’s Haki. Each bolt mirroring a strike of his claw, which seemed to strike out with vanishing speed in the precise moment that Parker opened himself up for retaliation, its intent was simple, to tear the other man apart in a hail of dismembered limbs and bring a swift end to the Monk Pirate once and for all. Yet this was but a precursor of things yet to come as Wolfgang held the Ulfgarn limp in his grip, having not even raised the weapon against his foe yet at this point and simply continued projecting his Will with unceasing strength. Crashing against the senses of Payback in an effort to drown him in feelings of hopelessness and self-pity, to stifle his very reason and experience and to drown out all opposition, burying him within constant waves of emanating darkness pouring freely forth from the recesses of Wolfgang’s twisted soul. Although that wasn't to directly intercept Wolfgang's Haoshoku, Parker carried on nevertheless. Through his own Haki, Kenbunshoku, he observed how fiercely Wolfgang stood against his welcoming action, but not only that, he even attacked while under its pressure, while the land continued to shiver due to their presence and attack. He gritted his teeth tightly, mind steeling against the onslaught of Haoshoku that went on and on. Whilst increasing the output of his all-direction burst, Parker had the ground around him to finally take its move, a move that was absurdly abrupt and quick for something like solid rock. That happened because the ground was being showered with motion ever since the start of the outburst, while some of it cracked under its wake, the rest successfuly stored it. Circling around Parker, like mud being molded by a child's hands, the rocks seemed to only manage as far as his height went, all of the lightning struck it- No, eviscerated it upon contact, creating a flashy explosion that lasted for all but a second. Yet, Parker's mangled body was not amongst the debris that Wolfgang could surely sense, in fact, Parker himself was sure that Wolfgang saw the truth behind it, after all, they could both use predictions. His own flared more than ever, not just giving him faint sensations, but something akin to an image. Normal people often asked themselves how to counter, or where to dodge to, or how to defend themselves in the wake of such an assault, thoughts that required bodily preparation and extreme capabilities to cease being just that. Not to the left, not upwards, Parker was surrounded by them, even if he managed to bypass through, Wolfgang had his sights set upon him, a counter-attack after getting away from his technique could be troublesome. Indeed, instead of any of those, Parker sunk himself through the ground by using the moving abilities of his power, opening a path more quick than one would by piercing through. Having geared himself up with energy, the task was instant, almost a second late. This also allowed for the earth to briefly mitigate the shock of the explosion caused by Wolfgang's claws, though the sheer impact still provoked an impact to course through the earth, the electricity almost piercing through. Normally, that initial wave that Parker sent should have crumbled much of the ground they stood on, it had only birthed a few small fissures upon it and rose some dust. When the entire wave travelled through the island constantly, it wasn't just the soil around Parker that accumulated kinetic energy anymore. As if thunder and earthquakes meshed, more rumble swallowed everyone and everything's ears. When Parker opened a path to avoid Wolfgang's claw, he simultaneously set free all of the power that was built up within it, and it wanted to roar, roar louder than an eruption, fiercer than a tsunami. Rocks by themselves weren't exceptionally strong, but, when coupled with one another, hundreds and thousands and even more rocks, their capacity was nigh, Parker's whole body tensed up, as if he himself would explode. "Dartmoor," Furthermore, they were being boosted by the stored energy and the newly-added one from Parker, evident by the blue aura circling them. Motion was one of the fundamentals of life, everything was always into movement. Like surging stars, filling the atmosphere and one's visage, the ground erupted into an immense diversity of shapes and engulfed whatever that was on its way, pushing up most of the island's terrain in attempt to swarm or reach Wolfgang. Trees, some of the Titan members that remained, all the attacks that came prompted them to vanish and crumble, generating rumbling that stretched even out in the sea, its waters pushed away from the beaches momentarily. As nature raged all around him, Izanagi stood his grand unflinchingly, his footing not lost for even the slightest moment in spite of the rumbling instability of the land underneath him. Wolfgang found it strangely fitting that his adversary dug underground to escape the splendour of his being, like a maggot fleeing from the light of the sun! Yet before his mind’s eye, Parker was always bared and visible and so he saw each movement he made and felt each gesture as the wind, the sea and the earth all spoke to him in unison. His strategy seemed natural, it was the creed of those lacking in imagination to attempt to overpower him through force alone – as if such a meagre display would be able to defeat the great Wolfgang. Undoubtedly he and his foe viewed power differently and he would demonstrate just how different they were, and even as the landscape began to peel away around him the mink did not budge an inch or even stoop to look down; keeping his eyes fixed firmly on the horizon. “''So the prey dares bare his teeth at his predator, bold, but pointless.” For the first time in this conflict Wolfgang lowered the Ulfgarn towards the ground, the mere action of moving it flattening the surrounding earth and bringing the ongoing rupture to a standstill as its overwhelming force pressed against Parker’s own in a raging torrent that saw the surrounding landscape rupture in numerous places due to the ongoing struggle that rumbled underneath them. Like the sceptre of a great king, it seemed to quell the raging earth and restore order to the mangled landscape if only briefly. But that was hardly it as a pall of blackness ran down the length of the great spear, crackling with bolts of liquescent black that licked the air like ravenous tongues, as Wolfgang’s will made manifest surged into being around the weapon before gathering at a single point, at the tip. When it touched the ground shortly afterwards, there was a roaring blaze of purplish-black that momentarily blocked out all sensations except for that isolated instant and then the island receded and what remained of the forces at Payback’s command with it. Either by virtue of the Ulfgarn’s fabled might as the Spear of Ruin or as a reflection of Wolfgang’s Will as a Conqueror the land heaved, shook and simply split apart into four quadrants leaving enormous chasms in their wake, gaping maws in the earth that were soon opened wide to the wild sea as it rushed to fill them. The elements claimed their due and the sudden rush of water soon formed incredible currents and towering waves that ravaged the land, washing away all traces of civilization that remained and wiping the slate clean for the Black Widows. Meanwhile Wolfgang stood unmoving as the waters crashed against him and threatened to drag him away where he stood, but neither sea nor storm could compare with the incalculable weight of the Ulfgarn and so he remained steadfast as he reached out with his mind to ascertain the current location of Parker. Water had no effect on him but the same could not be said of his adversary and so upon locating him Izanagi seemed to melt away in the air as he with a level of speed that seemed impossible to maintain owing to the weight of his weapon would give pursuit to his foe aiming to catch him unaware and end him with a single realm-shattering stroke of his spear, one that seemed poised to further split the land if need be. Pinehurst was no longer a single piece of land but a small collection of jagged islands forcibly divided by Ulfgarn. Cataclysmic, catastrophic, Parker's mind was running out of ways to describe the phenomenon that had been Wolfgang. When the sheer force of their collision made it clear that the Ulfgarn lived up to its legend, Parker's mind flared with nothing but a simple image. Cataclysmic. Again, huh. Though how the presence of the Ulfgarn laid itself upon the world when released by Wolfgang's hands was all of that, instead of cancelling itself out, the energy that Parker brought forth reverted itself in its directions. Indeed, most of the rock structures were simply demolished by Wolfgang, yet, part of their energy was still there. Never wasted, either dispersed or passed along. When Pinehurst gave way to a total of four interconnected ravines, Parker felt most of the tremors invading his body as well, it was no surprise that such an attack would go from the rocks and into him. He had been in the radius of the fissure, meaning that he had been falling through its emptied space then. Yet, grit his teeth Parker did not, this was but another amongst many attacks that ended with the same faith whence they met him, his body budged and inflated in different spots, blue flaring from him several times. In other words, these tremors were also the same thing that partially flooded into his body as a form of moving energy, the energy of impact and might. The energy of his other attack travelled back through the land itself, trajected towards Parker's figure, after all, with the land divided, it meant that he was suddenly susceptible. He wasn't underground, the very underground around him ceased to exist, making him easy to spot and likely an easy target for Wolfgang, who took no hesitation. However, Parker was still using his Haki to read the intentions of his opponent, unaware was from what he was currently. The energy that partially travelled back from his own attack flooded into him, just as Wolfgang had appeared to perform a mighty blow, and crashed him in the opposite direction from Wolfgang, Parker gritted his teeth once he felt the sheer pressure of the new strike. Luckily, it had been a straight blow, rather than a swipping one. They stood just like before, one in an island, another in other, Parker was back to the empty ravines. However, while the shockwave of the impact itself didn't manage to do him any harm, the sound of cascading water filled his enhanced senses. His Kenbunshoku had been in use since Wolfgang began his own attacks, while he was sure he couldn't see a completely concrete future for more than a few seconds, Wolfgang was the sole target of his radar. Parker's eyes widened for a second, in but a few seconds, the liquid would crash into him and surely send him to the depths of Davy Jones' locker. No, very much no. Parker maintained a steeled expression upon his face, his whole body coursed with kinetic energy, vibrating the very world around him with its minimal movements, veins burst throughout his clothed frame. "NGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Once the water was about to reach him, Parker turned around in a flicker of his body, like he had breached through space itself, and kicked the oncoming body of water. Normally, the water would disperse even before Parker came in contact with it, given the sheer pressure behind his actions, however, with his speed his right foot was capable of crashing soundly against the water before it could even register it. All of the blue that was the ocean water deepened, coursed with waves and sparks of motion. Instead of converging at the center of the ravines, the water erupted from where it was, coursing through the air like fire spread over gasoline. However, it did not do so in a simple shape. Streams, the size of rivers or waterfalls, shot through the island and its forests, droplets, like basket balls or snowflakes, hid amidst the absurd amount of water. Rather than flood the spaces created by the Ulfgarn, the water went everywhere at random, and even then, it just brushed over whatever part of the scenario was there. An odd thing, wasn't it supposed to carry such might that it could wash away anything? Parker glared directly at Wolfgang's form from afar through his own Haki. Some of the water bodies that flooded the island went in directions that he commanded by himself, but most of the other ones simply shot through random directions. Wolfgang's Kenbunshoku was one to be feared and respected, it couldn't simply be fooled. For that very reason, these attacks did not simply acquire speed and power to overwhelm him, they carried the very notion of energy with them, unlike the rocks from before that moved solely by this energy. This was his '''Northumberland'. In that regard, while some of them flew at random, all of them were under Parker's command and that very command had the attack absorb whatever opposition came in contact with it. Therefore, obstacles such as trees and constructs wouldn't put or slow them down, their force would merely increase upon contact. The same could be said if they were struck by any conventional attack, the impact or pressure would add to their own, they simply would not stop until they reached their true target, seeking to sip their energy into him and induce an overload of movement. Though Wolfgang possessed Busoshoku to fight against users, the powers of a Devil Fruit weren't null before it, much of the water streams were likely to drift through some attacks, while the others would vanish. A King Reborn At Payback’s command, the tide had quite literally turned and Izanagi now found himself amidst a maelstrom of churning waters that enclosed closer and closer to his position as he stood silently and watched the chaos unfold before him, his reaction practically nonexistent as he refocused his senses on his opponent. Truthfully he did not see the point behind all of this nonsense, he had expected to battle for his life and to truly get to test his mettle against a worthy opponent, at the moment Wolfgang was gravely disappointed. Sure it had a level of power that would be considered unusual in most places of the world but here, and certainly it would have succeeded in bringing many a marine fleet to ruin by its great force – but that was where it ended. Wolfgang was beyond anything that man could produce, he was a living superweapon, the chosen one, the greatest son of Zou and Izanagi to the Pirate King. It was pointless to not call her that given Parker’s current display… if this was the extent of what they could muster the Black Widows had already won this war. Wolfgang stood his ground as he once more raised the Ulfgarn above his head and swung it once in a reverberating circle of expressed power as winds the strength of a hundred hurricanes were unleashed in the wake of the mighty weapon, causing the approaching waves to halt mid-motion, unable to penetrate the invisible wall of air that now barred their passing. It was then that he issued himself into a Melody… as within his mind’s eye he used Kenbunshoku Haki to duplicate the motions of the World’s Greatest Swordsman: Bimore O. Jack and the winds bent around him forming a whirling cradle as the previously violent gestures of the Ulfgarn became gentle and almost soothing. A growing whirlwind began to form around him in that moment, as he redirected all of the resulting force and momentum around him to feed into his creation before he with a single forceful gesture produced enough sudden friction and momentum to create a spark, a spark that exploded within the heart of the whirlwind and was funnelled into the raging currents. At that moment the sky was obscured by a blinding black light as the entire column of funnelled air tamed by the mink was turned into a tornado of living flame… one whose sheer intensity instantly caused the water that threatened Wolfgang to dissipate into steam before even making contact with his creation, obscuring the battlefield in a thick mist and causing the clouds overhead to gather and grow in size and volume. He stood at the centre, at the eye of the storm and with each movement he made with the spear the force of the wind was increased tenfold.. and the flames that fed into them increased in turn until the enormity of the pillar dwarfed most of the remaining island. But this was but a prerequisite, for even if he hurled this massive mass of fire at his foe it would not necessarily bring him low… nay, he required a different solution.. he needed to put his heart into it. Waves of everblack ichor emanated from his form and fused itself to the wind and flame turning the fiery twister into an extension of Wolfgang’s will, its purple flames stripping the land clean and setting the stage of complete and utter dominance. Power flowed freely forth from his soul and soon clad the burning black tornado with his overwhelming murderous intent, at which point something unusual occurred as the top of it as it began to bend downwards and assume the shape of a giant wolves maw almost a kilometre across, composed of a massive amount of flame copiously shaped by Haki and directed by Wolfgang’s bastardized version of the fabled Melody of Wind. At the centre of the animated firestorm stood the Maneater himself.. as he with a gesture sent it hurtling through the air with a cacophonous roar, setting all underneath ablaze in its sheer glory and destructive might. It would follow Payback unrelentingly, attracted to the “essence” of his Haki as gleaned through Wolfgang’s mastery of Kenbunshoku – and as it passed it would completely obscure the Mink and at that moment his grand spear would vanish into nothing owing to one of the Spider Empress’ enchantments, to be resummoned when and if Izanagi required it – but for the moment he had grown terribly bored by the perceived mediocrity of his opposition and he wanted to put an end to it as quickly as possible so that he could get back to fucking marines. Using the cower provided by his own application of the Gogyō Shizora-ryū, Wolfgang made a single surge with his speed now unbound by the weight of the Ulfgarn. There was no indication of his movement, the earth didn’t groan.. there was no shock of force or a flicker to denote his appearance – all that was was his sudden presence as within a single leap he had closed the remainder of distance between them and suddenly appeared in front of Parker, their faces mere inches apart and in the instant their eyes met a preternatural darkness whirled within the black of Wolfgang’s pupils.. an extremely focused application of Haoshoku yet overwhelming in quantity as for a brief moment he focused all of his strength in Haki into that singular glare. It carried immediate intent and emanated an overbearing sinister aura much akin to his typical application, yet focused in scope to the point of being almost all-consuming so that even if his foe might successfully turn his gaze, its sheer presence might still cripple him. Following his acquisition of Haoshoku Haki, Wolfgang had experimented upon war prisoners and with his natural aptitude and mastery, he had come to learn much in little time… and this was what was called a Haki Curse, and this one would attempt to do two things: Firstly, establish a fleeting moment of complete bodily paralysis and secondly… to temporarily form a mental wall between Payback’s consciousness and the power of his own Devil Fruit, to stymie him by the will of Humanity. Success or failure did not matter as the Beast of Zou capitalized on this great moment of tactical advantage to commit himself to a succession of extremely fast jabs, each laced with Haki in such dizzying numbers that the entire airspace around them would be torn apart in a flurry of twinkling black stars – as that was all that the naked eye could perceive of Wolfgang’s assault, even as the giant maw of the animated firestorm closed in on the two men… intent on devouring them both. Wolfgang had survived a volcanic eruption while trapped in its bowels.. but he wondered if Parker could endure a similar fate? The way that Wolfgang had dealt with the incoming water was not even short of genius, it was bare and pure ingenuity. Given that Parker's own attack would have otherwise absorbed any push or physical interference, getting rid of the medium was amongst the best of options. He couldn't gauge Wolfgang's feelings of that moment, his Haki was too focused on self-defense and predictions for any of that, thus, he couldn't even know any of Wolfgang's superior feeling towards himself. All the water that hit against Wolfgang's initial tornado would have absorbed the spiraling momentum if not for the eruption of flames. Still, what the fire engulfed and destroyed were the bodies of water, most of the energy that had been sent through those mediums remained in there, into the steam birthed from the evaporation. Even as that happened, towering flames of Haki made themselves present into the distance and heated up the whole land through their sheer pressure. Rather, what came through his mind were visions of himself, with Wolfgang standing before him and executing an absurd of blows. But this vision held more form, was more concrete, after all his Kenbunshoku had been active, the fact that he saw the future without much preparation showed how much more dangerous this was. Wolfgang seemed to exert an absurd amount of aura towards him, somehow leaving him defenseless to what followed. Parker, along with the very environment, would be pushed apart and covered in rays of black, blood would be drawn from him, heavily from wounds caused by the blows. However, that was most odd, even if his body was attacked by Haki, he could still absorb kinetic energy, yet, that didn't happen in such a vision. Furthermore, it seemed as if Wolfgang himself felt no repercussion from it, It could only be fruit of the aura Wolfgang forced upon Parker, sweat covered his whole body when thinking of such a fate. What Parker was about to do in response to the future required quite an amount of concentration, and for that, he summoned the powers of his devil fruit before they would be cut off. This summoning prompted an already existing link between him and Wolfgang to slightly strengthen, the power of... Awakening. Yet, it hadn't surfaced completely by then, merely making Parker's body move randomly in order to avoid the first few strikes that would come from Wolfgang, while simultaneously trying to absorb his motion, all the motion around... Even the one dispersed from the initial water, so that it all converged within him, powering him up further. Parker gritted his teeth once the impact and pain reached him since some of the attacks still reached him, parts of his body hit by something akin to a small shower of meteors, Wolfgang was simply too superior for him to simply dodge or defend from everything. But no, what he had to focus on... Experienced users couldn't only reach unimaginable abilities with their specific colors of Haki, they reached enough power to somewhat reinvent that very shade. Kenbunshoku normally allowed for the identification of another's intention by using one's own aura, yet, when this same one took into account the workings of Busoshoku, manifestation of will. By meshing the both of them, using the resonating ability of Kenbun and the coating of Buso, Parker crafted something akin to a mental barrier around that which tied his consciousness to his devil fruit. Parker's Haki would only wither away, at least a good portion of it, as it defended him from such curse, allowing his own power to carry on with what it was intended to. Like it was stated before, Parker felt a difference when he stood in such proximity to Wolfgang, a thing that he could feel only very barely before, since they distanced themselves often. It was as if something surrounded the Mink's very form, like a second layer, but Parker's power could track it, it had some sort of movement that told it away. Movement. Through the very Awakening, also mentioned before, of his Devil Fruit, Parker channeled this very movement produced not only by Wolfgang's force field, but by his very body, without any manner of touch. After all, Awakening allowed one to breach much of their limits when it came to using their power. A cloak of pure energy was not short or cut from the range of Parker's abilities, it likely stemmed from Wolfgang's racial abilities, the many stories of the unbreakable shield. Parker never saw it, but he began to feel it beforehand. He was assimilating all of the motion energy that travelled around him, around Wolfgang, into them, out of them, if this was an ability he could keep up so easily, Parker could likely treat it upon himself. Yes, for the all the Haki flames that came, for all the other jabs that Wolfgang would throw at him, Parker made use of Wolfgang's very defensive mechanism only because of how it worked. Due to their proximity, it would pass over to Parker relatively quickly, under the span of a single breath, while keeping its own sturdiness. Parker sweated heavily, his Haki had been damaged, but it meant he could kept this up, blood dripped from spots of his body, nothing new from before, his stamina would catch down sometime, that was why he had to use Wolfgang's attack and his armor. He kept himself from being possibly harmed by it due to how he could control such energy, it was almost like vibration and it was going to take in all of Wolfgang's jabs, while he himself was to likely remain bare against his own attack, the incoming pillar of flames. Yes, Parker just kept absorbing all of the motion from around him, maybe slowly down even Wolfgang and just continuing to sap him of his shield, and channeling the energy to fuel his own movements and keep its properties to defend himself further. End of the Line Wolfgang had been sure of his triumph in the wake of the farce that had been their contest thus far, surely Payback was a simpering sod who coasted off the success of his Captain. Yet when his blows that had at first struck flesh instead collided with an invisible wall of force he felt a sliver of excitement for the first time in this clash. Deducing the nature of just what had occurred was a simple matter given how exposed he suddenly felt, a surefire sign that his foe had managed to directly interfere with the Shield of Bishamonten somehow. It was hardly an uncommon occurrence as by its very nature the Shield was both exceptionally durable and uniquely fragile to the right abilities, it would seem that Parker’s Devil Fruit was one of them. He could sense how his own energies had been stolen away and used to reinforce a similar defence around his foe, and it was a magnificent display that likely stemmed from the use of an Awakened power. Yes, he could see how this man might be considered a big shot among those unfortunate few who could not rely upon the grace and glory of Wolfgang, the average masses were so easily duped into mistaking ability for power. One might wonder what the Beast of Zou would do in such a situation, and some might be disappointed to find that he continued his seemingly fruitless assault with extraordinary abandon, his form seemingly flickering in and out of reality as he appeared in bursts of brilliant black, the air convulsing and exploding underneath his feet as he employed Geppo to masterful effect in order to strike from every conceivable angle, no longer burdened by the Ulfgarn these blows suddenly multiplied into the thousands as a veritable army of afterimages converged upon his position with reckless abandon It was a visual akin to a pack of wolves descending upon some isolated lamb, each echoing the bloodcurdling laughter of Wolfgang as the air around Parker was overcome by flashes of black light and dark fur as the mink issued himself into a relentless assault on the other man’s life. Some might deem it strange that he would commit himself to an attack that he already knew wasn’t going to work, with the stolen Shield of Bishamonten, Parker had formed a barrier that would be difficult to break even for the likes of Wolfgang and the answer to this reasonable query would be remarkably simple. More than anyone else, Wolfgang understood the limitations of the Shield of Bishamonten – it held many advantages but it also had one fatal flaw. It offered no protection beyond the external forcefield it produced, a forcefield that to a master of Haki was a trivial thing to overcome – and so he soon began to project his Haki into his strikes in order to target William’s internal organs directly, completely bypassing the protective mantle of the Shield of Bishamonten. Aided in large part by the large undercurrent of his aura that still permeated that stolen barrier which he empowered with Haoshoku to resist the effects of the Dogi Dogi no Mi. Thus revealing the cruel function of his earlier apparently fruitless blows – as the gathered energy allowed him to synchronize his Electro with the energy on the opposite side of the forcefield to fuse it with his blows, so that each of the innumerable blows that were directed inside Parker would carry with them a focused burst of electricity that would ravage his nervous system if allowed, deform bone and muscles and break his body in so many ways that recovery would require a miracle. Yet he deliberately steered clear of his vital organs, for Wolfgang didn’t want to kill his opponent at this stage, no, he wanted to destroy him. In the past this would be something that even Wolfgang would hesitate to do, but ever since the loss of his brother he sometimes became overwhelmed by feelings of despair and loneliness – with no other avenue to turn to he sought to impose these terrors on others so that he could mask his feelings as theirs and thereby not be forced to acknowledge them. So intense were these feelings that even as he dedicated every ounce of his being to render William a cripple, tears flowed freely from his eyes without him seemingly realizing. Once the assault had finally abated to whichever result, Wolfgang turned around and gazed into the burning maw of blackness that was his own creation – poised to devour the two of them as directed previously. It seemed kind of comical, that they’d both outsped it to this degree – it served as proof that his technique had not even begun to approach the levels of Bimore O. Jack. In a fit of rage he summoned the Ulfgarn back to his hand, where it manifested in a surge of purple light owing to another of its enchantments and with a single swipe of the massive weapon the entire construct of animated flame began to quake and tremble as if in terror before he broke into the motions of the Gogyo Shizora-ryu, mirroring Jack’s own movements as he gradually began to deconstruct and pick apart the flames. Scattering them to all sides as the gentle thrum seemed to tame the disquieted inferno. «Nah, fuck this!» The Ulfgarn was swung in a heavy arc and the entire inferno was swept away in a massive blast of air and fire that burned away everything green still left on the land and ultimately dispelled his own creation, it lacked finesse and panache but it was a more effective solution. Wolfgang was however surprised to find that his body had suffered burns from proximity to the intense heat, the Shield of Bishamonten drew upon excess energy generated from every single movement he made and over the years he had learned to reinforce it on reflex. His earlier assault on Parker should have been more than enough to form a mantle sufficient to protect him from the heat, could it be that he had managed to steal away at his energies even while under siege in the hope that he would annihilate them both by accident? He had some spunk, he would admit that much. Parker concluded that, seeing the future or not, the outcome wouldn't have changed, his mind wouldn't have dug into any other possibility of an action or course to take. The defense that he had made his own, the aforementioned Shield of Bishamonten, was to be rendered null in the wake of what Wolfgang proceeded to do, thus, his powers likely wouldn't amount to anything when faced with so much Haki. Not just so much Haki, but very finesseed Haki. It was no surprise that Wolfgang knew of the barrier's own limits and counters, after all. Since he further blocked the Dogi Dogi's effects, there was simply no use for it anymore, Parker grinded both row of teeth and called the little else he had. Arms crossed, will steeled, black sparks travelled from outside and inside Parker, covering the skin, the tissues, and the bones all throughout his body with a blackest form of Busoshoku Haki, heavying upon the very atmosphere around him. His will, though not that of a King's, took upon the most resilient it could, after all part of it had been depleted when Parker defended himself from Wolfgang's Curse, therefore limiting it. Even if it was not in the same level of technique as Wolfgang's Emittion Haki, Parker sought to mitigate the effects of the attack through this layering. Closing his eyes, Parker felt the world around him cease existing, for the sensation of the attacks invading his body came crashing harder than the Ulfgarn did upon the island. His whole frame twisted harder than when it would absorb some other absurd kinetic attacks, caving into itself numerous times, twisting in weird angles, even as he remained in place. Blood erupted from many of these wounds and from his mouth as well, whose teeth clanked together, not letting any manner of yelling out. Veins had burst throughout his whole body, even inside his eyes, which trembled within their sockets, part of his clothes were sheddered due to the increase of his muscles. His own haki was pushed out of him, also giving in to the incredible assault. Parker's hair was free, flowing wildly while his body convulsed, steam and smoke exploded from within him due to the concentrated bursts. A second later, his body was devoid of any movement, the very man that commanded and twisted the power of movement by his lonesome was rendered bare from any of it. Parker let a gasp finally escape his mouth, coupled with both smoke and blood, his pupils threatened to flicker out and make him give in to unsconsciousness, to the point that he didn't even see Wolfgang dispersing the flames. Nor had he seen the monster's tears. Normally, after such an attack, one would not only have much of their body broken apart, but also ripped apart and would shudder immensely, as if struggling to exist. It was true that Parker was essentially destroyed, yet, his form remained there, bones broken, muscles swollen... nerves cut. He didn't shudder, he couldn't shudder at all. But in such a moment when so much happened, Parker didn't even notice it, his feet were shoulder length apart, his arms limp by his sides, his torso hunched only slightly, prompting some of his hair to fall forward. Parker's body simply remained there, immobile, only his head seemingly alive. "Ah... ah..." He tried breathing, his eyes struggling to look up towards Wolfgang. The Maneater walked up to his fallen foe and hunched down in front of the larger man before speaking coldly: «I have ripped apart your nerves, severed tendons and destroyed large parts of your nervous system – you will never again challenge the Spider Empress. Better hope you treated your subordinates well, for they will have to take care of you from this moment on, and every time they help you shit or eat I want you to remember that it was Wolfgang who did this to you.» Wolfgang rose to his full height slowly, Ulfgarn resting against his shoulder. «Incase you wonder why I didn’t simply kill you, it is because you commited the gravest sin any adversary of mine can make.» He began to move away slowly to allow William Parker’s subordinates the chance at collecting him so as to showcase his power to the world at large and to put the fear of god into the Monk Pirates. His last words before departing were the final twist of the dagger. «You bored me, Payback.» FIN Category:Role-Plays Category:Njalm2 Category:DamonDraco Category:Finished Role-Plays